“Curtis Samuel has a lot of maturity for his age,” Bennett said, according to Northeast Ohio Media Group’s Doug Lesmerises. “He likes to work and he’s gotten a lot better and a lot bigger. I remember he’s got a different mentality that you don’t see freshmen usually have.”

On the set of ESPN’s Mike & Mike show a few days later, Meyer revealed his excitement for the freshman running back.

“This guy named Curtis Samuel, a kid out of Brooklyn, New York, a true freshman who came in the spring. He really stole my heart,” Meyer said. “He does everything right. He’s a gifted athlete, kind of a freak athlete.

“This kid’s a stud.”

That assessment was just as true last year, when Samuel was rated a 4-star all-purpose back and the No. 59 overall recruit in the country. He had…